Young people’s mental health and wellbeing is supported through Brain Boom, our youth mental health initiative.
There are three main goals of the project:
- Increase literacy in mental health
- Decrease mental health stigma
- Increase knowledge of support available
In 2020, two local secondary schools began a pilot program that proved successful. Here are some highlights from the 2021-22 pilot.
- 81% of students say they have gained a better understanding of mental health
- 77% report being more aware of mental illness symptoms and signs
- download the Brain Bloom Practitioner Implementation Toolkit74% of respondents reported feeling more comfortable discussing mental illness openly
- Eighty-one percent reported they were more likely to seek mental health support
Quotes from participating students:
‘I like that we got to gain an understanding of something that is so important’
‘I was able to learn so much about mental health’
‘I liked that schools and teens have the opportunity to be open and talk about mental health. Getting the mental health certificate for Teen Mental Health First Aid was great’
‘I think it’s a great program that helps bring awareness and educate students and really gets them involved and thinking about their mental health and others’
Educators, youth workers, and other practitioners working with young people can use the Brain Bloom Practitioner Toolkit to guide them through the implementation and support process.
This guide provides information on how to book mental health literacy training (e.g. Teen Mental Health First Aid) and guides students in designing, implementing and evaluating their own projects.